Loss-of-function mutations in the human ICK (intestinal cell kinase) gene cause dysfunctional primary cilia and perinatal lethality which are associated with human ciliopathies. The enzyme that we herein call CAPK (ciliopathy-associated protein kinase) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has a highly conserved MAPK-like N-terminal catalytic domain and an unstructured C-terminal domain (CTD) whose functions are completely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that truncation of the CTD impairs the ability of CAPK to interact with and phosphorylate its substrate, kinesin family member 3A (KIF3A). We also find that deletion of the CTD of CAPK compromises both localization to the primary cilium and negative regulation of ciliogenesis. Thus, CAPK substrate recognition, ciliary targeting, and ciliary function depend on the non-catalytic CTD of the protein which is predicted to be intrinsically disordered.
Keywords: and phosphorylation; ciliogenesis; ciliopathy; ciliopathy-associated protein kinase; intestinal cell kinase; kinesin family member 3A; primary cilia.